But those headlines didn't convince Jeff Ovitt, a virtual political unknown, that Mayor Joe Johnson should be a shoo-in for re-election.

"Call me a concerned citizen," says Ovitt, an associate for Home Depot.

"Things like the rec center are great for our city, but people shouldn't be left with a bad taste in their mouths" over financial issues surrounding the $23 million facility.

Ovitt, who has lived in the city for six years, says he wonders if things can't be done better.

"Costs are spiraling out of control on that rec center and no one seems willing to put the brakes on," he says. "Bountiful wrote a check. There are five cities in on that thing; where are they?"

Ovitt also believes growth along the city's main thoroughfares - 500 West, 500 South, 400 North - is ugly and uncontrolled.

He wants an audit into the city's finances and that of its independent power company to see - compared with other cities that subscribe to Utah Power - if it benefits Bountiful residents.

"People deserve to know," he says, noting that a chief residents' complaint is rising power costs and a suspicion that they are being used to fund other city functions.

Johnson, meanwhile, says bringing five south Davis cities together on such projects as the recreation center and fire district saves the city money.

"We couldn't have done it without them," he says. "Those changes were necessary to help keep Bountiful a nice, safe place to live."

He says the city did front $5 million for the center through a $3 million agreement with the Davis County School District and another $2 million with Davis County that will be paid back by those entities over the next 10 years.

In the next four years, Johnson says, he intends to complete the integration of Bountiful's Fire Department into the South Davis Fire District, and he plans to continue work to bring light rail to Davis County.

"If we don't continue that process and continue to push, it won't happen in the next 20," he says.

While neighboring cities are busy constructing Wal-Marts and Costcos, Johnson says he is concerned they will erode Bountiful's tax base.

To combat that, he intends to look at the stalled development of the Renaissance Center on Main Street to "see if there isn't something the city can do to help move that along."

He is also looking forward to the mixed-used development of the old J.C. Penney building on the other end of Main Street.

"Those two developments frame our Main Street. It's walkable. The flowers and trees there are beautiful. We wouldn't trade our Main Street for all the Costcos and Wal-Marts in the world."

lorib@sltrib.com

Joe Johnson

* Age: 60

* Occupation: Insurance, former teacher and basketball coach

* Political experience: Bountiful mayor, four years

* Fun fact: "I loved hunting with my father. I don't do it much anymore, but have lots of fond memories."

Jeff Ovitt

* Age: 49

* Occupation: Retail management

* Political experience: None

* Fun fact: "When we moved into our house in Bountiful, the backyard was empty. It is now an oasis; who knew I was a gardener?"

* Two at-large City Council seats: John M. (Marc) Knight, R. Fred Moss (i), Thomas B. Tolman (i), PhillWright